Relief-valve.



W. J. BURKART.

RELIEF VALVE.

APPLICATION HLED MAR. 4, 1915.

1,M9,Q28., Patented Aug. 3, 1915.

WITNESSES [N V EN TOR.

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WILLIAM J". BURKART, 0F LATROBE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIG-NOR 0F ONE-HALE TO CHARLES HOWARD HOOK,OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

RELIEF-VALVE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug.3, 1915.

Application filed March 4, 1915. Serial No. 12,176.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM J. BURK- i R'i', a citizen of the United States, residing at Latrobe, in the county of /Vestmoreland and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Relief-Valves, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of devices known as water relief valves or traps, principally employed upon steam heating systems to discharge the water of condensation, air, or other entrained liquid from the system without unnecessary waste of steam and has for its object to produce a simple and durable device of the class referred to, with means in a manner as hereinafter described, to overcome the necessity of employing a guide in connection with a float operated valvular member, forming an element of the device, and employed for normally shutting ofi discharge from the device.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the type referred to, in a manner as hereinafter set forth, with a float operated valvular member associated with a seat therefor, said member and seat being in the form of aball'and socket joint thereby permitting of the float, which controls the movement of said member, tilting without shifting the valvular member from off its seat, under suchconditions normally permitting air discharge and permitting air to pass from said device.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the class referred to, in. a manner as hereinafter set forth, with a float operated valvular member including a hollow valve stem terminating in a hollow spherical valve having an outlet, the valve associating with means to provide a valve seat forming with a discharge port or less diameter than the outlet, the valve and seat forming means set up to provide what may be termed a ball and socket joint and the stem connected with the float having an opening communicating with the stem to allow of the passage of air from within the device through the stem,'valve and discharge port. The ball and socket connection providing means to permit of the tilting of the float, carrying the stem and valve there- 'with, withoutshutting off communication between the valve and'discharge port, under such conditions providing for the discharge or air during the tilting of the float and overcoming the necessity of employing a guide for the tilting or vertical movement of the float.

Further objects of the invention are to provide a relief valve for the purpose set forth which is simple in its construction and arrangement, strong, durable, eificient and convenient in its use, readily set up and comparatively inexpensive to manufacture.

With the foregoing and other objects in view the invention consists of the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts as hereinafter more specifically described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein is shown an embodiment of the invention, but. it is to be understood that changes, variations and modifica tions can be resorted to which come within the scope of the claims hereunto appended.

In the drawings wherein like refer ence characters denote corresponding parts throughout the several views :-Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a relief valve in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a top plan; nd Fig. 3 is a sectional detail illustrating a modification.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings 1 denotes a casing open at its top and having a bottom 2 which has an integral nipple 3 providing a socket 4: with the wall thereof threaded to provide means for detachably connecting with the nipple a discharge pipe not shown. The bottom 2 centrally thereof has a discharge port 5 of materially less diameter than the diameter of the socket 4. The discharge port 5 leads from an inverted conical-shape pocket 6 and terminates into a socket 4c. The wall ofthe pocket 6 provides a valve seat. The upperface of the bottom 2 is formed with a centrally disposed annular ridge 7 which has its inner face form a continuation of a wall of the pocket 6. v I

Thebody portion of the casing 1 at the top thereof is of less thickness than the lower part, as indicated at 8, and the said part of less thickness is interiorly threaded as at 9. Detachably engaging with the threads 9 is a closure cap 10, formed with a lateral shoulder 11 which engages the top edge of the casing 1 when the cap 10 is connected to said casing 1. The cap 10 has'an'enlargement 12 to provide a grip so that the cap 10 can be conveniently re moved or said enlargement can be engaged by a suitable tool to permit of the removal or the positioning of the cap.

The casing 1 has the body'portion thereof provided above its center with an inlet nipple opening 13 which communicates with a lateral extending peripherally threaded shouldered nipple 14 which is formed'integral with the body portion 1 of the casing. The nipple 14 is connected with the radiator or steam heating system by union 15".

Arranged within the casing 1 is a hollow inverted cup-shape float 16 of a height less than the height of the casing 1 and which has its top centrally thereof formed with an opening 17 of very small diameter. The float 16 is crimped as at 18 to reinforce it. Fix'edly secured at its upper end to the inner face of the float 16, centrally of said inner face, is a hollow valve stem19, having a bore 20 thereof of slightly greater diameter than the diameter of the opening 17 and said bore 20 constitutes an air conducting passage. The stem 19' is of less height than the height of the float 16 and has formed integral with'its lower end a hollow spherical valve 21 of materially greater diameter than the diameter of the stern19 and said valve 21 has an outlet 22 of materially greater diameter than the discharge port 4. g

The spherical or globular valve 21 in connection with the wall of the pocket 6 sets what may be termed a ball and socket joint thereby enabling the float 16 to tilt without closing the discharge port 1 thereby preventing the interruption of the air discharge. The siZe of the outlet 22 with respect to'the discharge port 4 co-acts with the ball and socket joint so as not tointerrupt the discharge of air. The annular ridge 7 provides for the trapping of a quantity of water prior to the elevating of a float to permit of the discharge of water from the casing through the port 1. Under such conditions the discharge of air can take place While the water i's'being trapped. I In the modification shown in Fig. 3 the difference in construction over form illustr'ate'd in Fig. 1 resides solely in enlarging the bottom 2 of the casing 1 at 23, providing said enlargement with a vertically disposed passage 24 which opens at its upper end intothe float chamber 25 and at its upper end merges into an inclined passage 26 which communicates with a socket 4. The passage 26 is normally closed by a screw 27 and when the latter is shifted outward to establish communication between the passages 24 and 26 the float chamber 25 can be cleaned. I

As the opening 17 is of very small diameter the discharge of steam will be very small, under such conditions the loss will hardly be perceptible, and such steam passing down through the valve stem 19, valve 21 and through the port 4 will be condensed in the discharge pipe and if any of the steam should be condensed in the stem the water condensed will be discharged through the port 4;

What I claim is t 1. A relief valve comprising a casing hav ing its bottom formed with an inverted cone-shape pocket terminating in a dis: charge port, saidpocket constituting a valve seat, a hollow globular valve associated and in connection" with said seat providing a ball socket connection, said valve having its lower portion provided with an out let of greater diameter than said port, and means forcontrolling themovement of said valve, said means including a hollow stem opening into and conducting air to the valve, said stem open at its top and of less diameter than the valve, the bottom of said casing furthermore provided on its upper face with an annular ridge to set up a water trap, said ridge having its inner face forming a continuation of the wall of said coneshape pocket.

2. 'A relief valve comprising a casing forming a float chamber, the bottom of said chamber having an inverted cone shape pocket terminating in a discharge port,- said pocket constituting a valve seat, a hollow globular valve associated and in connection with said seatforming a ball and socket connection, said valve having its lower end formed with an outlet of materially greater diameter than the diameter of said port", a float arranged within said chamber and spaced therefrom, a hollow valve stem connected'at its upper end to said float and at its lower end opening'into said valve, and said float having its top formed with an opening communicating with said stem.

3. A relief valve comprising a casing forming a float chamber, the bottom of said chamber having an inverted cone-shape pocketterminating in a discharge port, said pocket constituting a valve seat, a hollow globular valve associated and in-connection with said seat forming a ball and socket connection, said valve having its lower end formed with an outlet of-mate'riallv greater diameter thanthe diameter of said port, a float arranged within said chamber and spaced therefrom, a hollow valve stem connected at its upper end to said float and at its lower end opening into said valve, and said float having its top formed with an opening communicating with said stem,- said stern of materially less diameter than the diameter of said valve.

A relief Comprising a casin chamber having an inverted cone-shape pocket terminating in a discharge port, said pocket constituting a valve seat, a hollow globular valve associated and in connection with said seat forming a ball and socket connection, said valve having its lower end formed With an outlet of materially greater diameter than the diameter of said port, a float arranged Within said chamber and spaced therefrom, a hollow valve stem connected at its upper end to said float and at its lower end opening into said valve, and

said float having its top formed with an opening communicating With said stem, the diameter of said pocket being such Whereby said valve Will seat below the upper face of the bottom of said chamber.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

WILLIAM J. BURKART.

Witnesses NIcHoLAs L. BOGAN, MAX H; Snonovrrz.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). 0. y 

